My current music video crush is a kind of odd one, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it.

Kan Mi Young - classy version

To be honest, from the opening strains of this song (the sounds of Lee Joon of MBLAQ literally straining as he’s bound to the pretty iron work headboard of the woman’s bed) I was a bit apprehensive…that I would like it.

And the fact is the fantasy-sequences of the storyline with Lee Joon are gorgeously set. I get quite impatient with the space-age dance shots, frankly, though she’s cute and the dances are fun.

The sepia tones play up the black-and-white romantic film themes, while the vintage ambiance adds to the surreality of the storyline. Of course, the formalwear wins tons of points from me as well…

However inappropriately deployed.

Ahhh, miniRain. Fulfilling all the noonas’ needs for picturing a different sort of exploitation film.

An interesting detail is that though while he’s only tied with handkerchiefs (and later, rope), she has actual chains accenting the body of her dress. Symbolism of her own deeper issue? Or just thematic accessorizing?

Anyhow. The dressy glamour of it is quite acceptable, especially since it’s a real wacko-dreams concept.

Her “Paparazzi” video is more fun, though less classy, with SS501’s Kim Hyung Jun comically evading a girl in a series of vintage/retro girl-next-door costumes. A theeeeme? She’s pandering to us, I think.

I’m not sure I’ll stick all the way through this, but Flower Boy Ramyun Shop is both fun where it’s trying to be funny, and intriguing where it’s starting to line up it’s conflicts…

Of course, you can blame DramaBeans.com reviews for my watching it at all–I wasn’t interested initially. But they drew comparisons to Hello My Teacher (and it’s quite apt, I’d say this is like a reboot) and then were enthusiastic about some of the viewpoint-contrasts between the main characters, and I needed to check it out.

Of course, Chaebol Boy’s always superlatively well-dressed…

And do you see that? Yes, characterizing…bracelets.

With a sort of childish blocky look, in fact, which I think is to cue us to the fact that he’s actually underage while all the footage before a certain point makes it seem as though he’s quite independant and adult. (Maybe not mature, but acting under his own power.)

He’s pairing them with suit jackets and sweaters and school uniform, all themselves with severe lines such a slim frame carries off so well. It adds a playful note necessary to really perceive him correctly.

Of course, he also has to have his cadre of Flower Boy lackeys. I don’t know if they’ll be the Beauties of the ramyun shop (long-haired one, yes, plz) or if that’s going to be more a One-Man-Show (if this is the straighten-up tactic of his father[‘s secretary] I will be so pleased.

I like that already the shop has a certain honor-code and reverence, that it’s a neutral ground for the gangs and has a heavy significance to both the heroine and her dad.

I also like that they seem to be going to the extra effort of finding new ways to film familiar settings.

The Han River of DOOM --looking very well, actually

I don’t have high hopes for this show, exactly, but it’s a fun thing to have in my queue of things to watch when I need something lighter. And I’m open to changing my mind, too.

I’ve been needing a fluff drama. I mean, nevermind the four I need to finish already, they turned not-fluff and require actual…attention. Mental energy.

Also, the boy’s a chaebol, he’ll be in SUITS.

Which are whimsically accessorized, though I haven’t got a good shot of that yet. To help us get a bead on his age, which has been spoiled for me, but not the heroine and not outright by the show yet…

This is another one I was sold on by the recaps up at DramaBeans.com!

Apparently, the opening is straight out of Biscuit Teacher, Star Candy, and the structure has a lot of similarities. While the actor’s mannerisms in this first episode are a bit on the nose, that set up is one RIFE with actual interesting conflict, and was one of my favorites of the dramas that aren’t of Coffee Prince league.

But part of it is that the thing we share in common, this analytical draw to k-drama…I just haven’t had time to watch them with proper interest lately. This is true of a lot of things–I’ve been in a creative slump and a real-life high.

I know I’ll be back to you. Meanwhile, go hang out with my Tumblr, there are a lot of cuties over there…

One of the funniest moments I had in encounter with fangirldom was about Jang Geun-Suk’s clothes as Hwang Tae-Kyung in You’re Beautiful, when one of the Viki commenters complained, tongue-in-cheek, about his “slutty blouses”.

Exhibit A

It was the first time I’d seen someone use that word for a male. Instantly hilarious. Esp. with up-tight Hwang Tae-Kyung, who did have a somewhat obscure fashion sense, rocketing between clerical collars when out and barely-there knits when at home.

It would not be the last time I came across this particular brand of collar-bone pimping fanservice, but since You’re Beautiful was I think my first K-Drama, it left an impression.

just lovely, that'll do, thank you, yes

Of course, City Hunter pandered to us and the inevitable love of Lee Min Ho by giving him a similar taste going bare up there, even under his suit jackets. It could be the perfect blend between a Thai upbringing to heat-friendly clothes, and the metro persona he’s put on–I think the real Yoon-Sung would be bundling up a bit more in the cooler climate, if he had a choice…

Anyway, I went to look at a little Full House since it had been a while and I have a new appreciation of Rain lately, and it struck me.

this looks almost wrongly voluptuous--rail thin JGS and LMH can eat their hearts out

Of course. Of course he was the first.

He was the first to rip his shirt on stage, on national television, and continues be quite shrewd about using his physique to get him attention.

So apparently the world of k-drama fangirls owes him a lot more than I ever knew…

I love her. I love her talent, that she was so hateable in Personal Taste, and this is a completely different character in a very similar set-up. I love, also, her complete babyishness when she's alone and hurt.

Chanelling the cafe boyfriends, practicing a nickname. Ugh, I wanna pinch your cheeks and give you candy to share with her!

DAD OF THE ULTIMATE CUTENESS - I can tell where No Eun Seul got her eyes. And how she was already an expert at dealing with Ji-Heon.

I screencap her from sheer girl-crush. She is so adorable.

And then the whole set up abounds with cuteness in general. OMG. When dad is crying over his mom not telling him about Ji-Heon’s phobia, and then about how it came about…

awww, mom, I love you

what more adorable dad is there? He’s short-tempered, but really compassionate. If he didn’t genuinely like No Eun-Seul and treat her well we wouldn’t know it so well, but those tears sell it. Also, at the core, his mourning of his older son comes into it, from my perspective, that’s why his tears have a kind of more desperate tone rather than disappointed one, after talking with Eun-Seul.

aww, she's kind of sloppy but still cute...

I love also that No Eun-Seul cries over her own inner turmoil. Not that she’s been told she can’t be with Ji-Heon–she’s not the type to take that lying down. But she doesn’t know if it’s worth it–she’s not being let nurse a crush and figure out whether she should go out with him, she’s being proposed marriage and a loss of her job if she makes a single encouraging move. It’s just too much pressure, and she’s *tired*.

Drink off! But actually it's just tea. And just one cup.

And then there’s the fact that all the awkward scenes for the characters aren’t awkward for the viewers. It’s just amusing.

Awkward scenes tend to resonate too deeply with me for pleasure, but the nervous dad and wannabe boyfriend here–the bicker-twins of all stripes together in the elevator–the moms being found out in their plotting–they’re carried off with a lightness that makes it fun to be there.

I’ve created a Tumblr on the Suit-Distraction theme! While it’s awesome for having an automatic feed of my areas of interest, it also is kind of distracting me from the harder work of intelligently posting here…

Allow me to borrow a bit, and post about one of the fashion crushes I am not watching in anything right now, but still deserves a post.

There are guys who can carry off the kind of non-traditional suits that aren’t altered for avant-garde look, a look that kind of makes itself, as long as the person is attractive.

In this case, the suit is made of a velvet material that could come off as either feminine or dated in some way (both looks valid) but Blue carries it off instead as a luxurious fashion choice.

This is a particular charisma, which can pull of white suits without looking bridal, and odd collars without looking clerical. Of course, he just has a face that makes you take him seriously, but I think it’s also a particular style. More edgy fashion looks don’t draw him out, though he can carry them off, but these kind of more subdued choices against the traditional only set him off.